Wolves Mate For Life
by SWWoman
Summary: The sequel to The Wolf At My Door. The team races to find and stop a band of rogue Wolves before they kill again.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the sequel to The Wolf At My Door! I don't think you need to read that story to understand the plot here, but it might help. I do explain some aspects of the Wolf World there that I do not explain here. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask, they actually help me to define this AU better.**

**As usual, I don't own any character who has appeared on the show!**

* * *

Detective Joss Carter entered the park, smiling in anticipation. The moon was full and her pack was already on the run, all she had to do was catch up to them. She'd had to work later than she'd wanted to on a Pack Night, but she and her partner Fusco had finally cracked one of their toughest cases, and despite missing the first hour of the run she was feeling good. Fusco had left a few minutes before she had; he had probably already caught up with the pack.

Wolf Packs were tight knit extended family/social units and Pack Nights were opportunities for the entire pack to come together, socialize, and run together in Wolf form. (There were non-Wolf members of a pack, usually significant others and non-wolf children of the Wolf members, they would usually go a nearby home or restaurant while the Wolves ran together for a few hours). Wolves tended to be social creatures and most of them eagerly looked forward to Pack Nights. Joss was no exception, it had been a long week and a good run with her mate and her friends was just what she needed.

After a quick look around to make sure no one was watching, Joss left the paved path and headed into the bushes, looking for the place where she and her mate, Alpha John Reese, normally left their clothes on Pack Nights. She found the spot easily enough and the gym bag containing John's clothing was right where it should be. Before she stripped off her clothes she took a minute to bury her nose in his shirt and inhale his intoxicating scent. Even before she joined the Wolf People and become the mate of the Alpha, she had found his scent extremely sensual, but with her heightened sense of smell she found it down right addicting, much more so than any drug.

Quickly, she removed her clothes and placed them neatly into the bag with John's. She willed herself to change and in just a few seconds she was a jet black wolf with large chocolate brown eyes and soft fur. She smiled to herself, the change got easier every time she did it. John had been a very good teacher and despite the fact that she had only been Wolf for a few months, she was capable of changing form much faster than many members of the pack who had been Wolf much longer than she. John had been extremely pleased with her progress, and told her recently that he felt she might be one of the rare wolves who were able to change form even when the moon was not full.

"Joss, I think you were born for this," he had teased her. "Are you sure there is no Wolf Blood in your background?"

She had laughed, "Mom says no, but like many Black families, there are a lot of holes in our genealogy, so who knows?" But she had been very pleased to know that she was shaping up to be an excellent Wolf. She loved John and wanted to be a good mate to him and a good Alpha Female to the pack.

She left the bushes, following her mate's scent. She broke into a fast trot, not wanting to tire herself out before she reached her pack, but wanting to catch up quickly. She could "feel" her mate, and she knew she was not as far behind as she had thought she might be. John must have kept the other wolves reined in until she and Fusco could join them. She could sense that Fusco was close by as well, not too far ahead of her.

Wolf Mates shared a very close bond that non-Wolves did not have, and Joss's connection to her mate was a marvel, even to those who had been born into the Wolf People. It was said that Wolf mates shared a soul; it was not unusual for Wolf People to feel a deep emotional connection with their mate, to know when they were close by, know their mood, even if they weren't in the same building. But Joss's abilities extended well beyond what was considered normal, even for Wolves. Her range was much greater than normal. She would know whenever John had been hurt, even if he was all the way on the other side of the city. She could feel his presence constantly, like his ghost was following her around.

John wasn't quite sure why their bond was so strong, but he speculated that the intense emotions he had been feeling when he turned her might have had something to do with it. "You were dying, Joss. I thought I was going to lose you, and I was frantic. I was willing you to live and not leave me." John paused and smiled, "I may have over done it."

Joss had been perplexed, "There's an emotional component? It's not just the bite?"

"How much do you remember about the night I turned you?"

"I don't remember much about being turned, John. I was sorta busy bleeding out."

"No one really knows the exact mechanics of how the turning works. The stronger the Wolf doing the turning, the faster the turn happens, that's why Alphas normally perform turnings. We're Alphas because we are supposed to be one of the strongest, if not the strongest Wolf around. I'm a Born Alpha, a stronger than normal Wolf, otherwise I would not have been able to turn you fast enough to save your life."

Joss brought her eyebrows together in a frown, "OK, I'm with you so far. What about the emotional component then?"

"Wolf lore says that the Wolf performing a turn should clear their mind of all emotions or the effect on the person being turned could be unpredictable. I didn't have time to clear my mind with you."

Joss pursed her lips, thinking, "I see, so the fact that you were letting it all hang out emotionally contributes to our bond."

"That's what the Old Wolves would say, yes. I happen to think they are right, at least in this case."

Harold Finch, John's reclusive employer, had been fascinated by the connection John and Joss shared when he found out about it. Finch was not Wolf himself, but he immediately recognized the usefulness of their Wolf abilities to the mission. He had them perform several experiments, having them hide in various places in the city and having the other try to find them. Joss was able to track John from Manhattan to JFK. John was quite proud of her, but a bit miffed as well that she was better at finding him than he was at finding her. Like all Alphas he was fiercely protective of his mate, and the thought that she was superior at tracking him stung his pride just a bit.

Unlike most other Wolves, Joss could turn down the intensity of the mating connection when she needed to. John's job could be very dark and dangerous, often requiring his complete concentration, and there were times when the abnormally strong connection between the two of them could be a deadly distraction for him, not to mention what his frequent brushes with death did to her emotional state. She had slowly learned to think of it like a volume control on a TV set, and she could dial it down to almost zero when she needed to preserve their sanity.

That was not the only ability Joss gained when she had been turned. Joss had always been intuitive and able to read people quickly and accurately, but since John had turned her, she was becoming downright psychic. Even in her human form, she was amazed to discover her intuition and ability to understand people had grown by tenfold. This turned out to be very handy for a cop.

As John had explained it, "The Wolf makes you more of what you were before. You were always intuitive and now your intuition has been placed on steroids. It took your abilities and magnified them; I have seen this phenomenon before, but never to this degree."

Joss also had her own theory. She noticed that Fusco, whom John had also turned, was a very strong Wolf as well for someone who had been turned rather than born into it. She was pretty sure that her mate was a stronger Wolf than even he acknowledged. She suspected that if she looked into his family background, it would show a long line of Born Alphas. Born Alphas, the offspring of an Alpha couple, were the strongest Wolves around since they, according to Wolf traditions, inherited the strength of both parents in preparation for leading their own pack someday. Being turned by such an extremely strong Wolf had to have given her a big boost. Whatever the reason, Joss had more and stronger abilities than most other Wolves.

Joss recently discovered an unfortunate side effect of her abilities, she often would "broadcast" her emotions to those close to her. It was especially true during times of high stress or other intense emotion. All Wolves did some broadcasting, the phenomenon was related to the ability to feel their mates after all, but some Wolves where more prone to it than others. Joss, with her abnormally strong feeling ability, was one of the loudest broadcasters around.

During a recent shootout with a suspect, Fusco claimed he'd felt Joss throughout the whole thing. "We're spending too much time together, Carter," he grumbled. "That freaked me the fuck out."

John had been highly amused by the incident and could not resist teasing his friend. "You do spend all day with her. You're very attuned to my mate, Lionel. Should I be jealous?"

"You can keep her," Fusco had snarled. "I don't need her constantly in my head. That's just WEIRD." John had just laughed.

Even her son Taylor, though he was not Wolf yet, could feel it at times when she was angry or upset. One recent evening he'd come home while Joss was taking a hot bath after having to work on a particularly upsetting child murder and he instantly felt how upset she was. Taylor had startled John by asking, "What's wrong with Mom?"

"You feel that?" John asked, surprised. Of course John, as her mate, could feel it but he certainly hadn't expected a non-Wolf, no matter how close they were to Joss, to be able to pick up on it.

"Yeah, as soon as I walked in the door I knew Mom was upset."

So Joss had to learn to dial down the broadcasting as well or it could hamper her in any of her investigations where there happened to be a Wolf involved. She was getting there, but she still had a lot to learn.

Carter's reverie was interrupted by the appearance of three unfamiliar wolves blocking her path. She slid to an abrupt stop and sniffed the air and she knew immediately that they were up to no good. They were not members of her pack and though there were wolves in the area that chose not to be members of any pack, they usually avoided the packs and they surely would not challenge the mate of the Alpha. Challenging her meant challenging the entire pack, and no lone wolf in its right mind would do that.

The largest of the three advanced on her growling, snarling, hackles up and she suddenly realized that they intended to kill her. Joss snarled back, she might not get out of this alive, but she would not go quietly. She got ready to defend herself.

Just then a stocky red-brown wolf appeared at her shoulder. Fusco! She was grateful to her partner but she was afraid he would get hurt as well. It was two against three and this was not going to end well for them but she prepared herself to give as good as she got.

The three wolves fanned out and surrounded them. Joss spun so she was covering Fusco's back and he was covering hers. Joss sensed that she specifically was their target but she was confused as to why. But she did not have time to worry about it right then. Her survival and that of her partner was at stake.

The largest of the three was radiating hate, it rolled off him and slammed into Joss's senses like a tidal wave. She focused on him, she knew he would be the one to move first, the other two were clearly followers. He was going to come for her hard and fast and leave Fusco to the other two. Joss met his eyes with a steely glare that she'd perfected over years of army interrogations and police work.

The hateful Wolf was astonished when he saw no fear; this was not what he was expecting. He had been looking forward to toying with his prey, to savoring the fear of a creature about to die; but Jocelyn Carter, Alpha Bitch, was not about to give him that satisfaction. John Reese, the toughest Alpha Male in New York City had chosen her for his mate for a reason, and this son-of-a-bitch was about to discover that reason. She snarled defiantly at the stranger, daring him to make a move.

Joss's fearless and defiant reaction confused the hate-filled stranger. He had expected her to roll over and show her belly, begging for her life. He had not expected such defiance and the Wolfly equivalent of the middle finger. He hesitated instead of moving in for the kill immediately.

That hesitation proved to be the strange Wolf's undoing. Just as he was about to strike, a large, familiar wolf materialized next to her. JOHN! He must have felt her danger.

Now the odds were in their favor. It was three to three, but John counted for far more than one ordinary wolf. Joss had seen a lot of wolves in her job; even before she'd become one herself and he was the most magnificent specimen she'd ever seen. Even normal humans who saw him in wolf form recognized that he was a cut above a regular Wolf. As he did in human form, he towered over Joss. He was taller than any other wolf in their pack. His fur was black, starting to turn salt and pepper and he retained his beautiful silver blue eyes from his human form. He never made a sound when he moved and Joss could tell that his sudden appearance had caught her adversaries off guard.

Outwardly John was calm and calculating, but Joss could feel his rage. His mate had been threatened and he would not allow any Wolf who was a threat to her to survive long. He was only waiting for them to make the first move and then he would strike.

However, instead of attacking, the strange wolves suddenly melted into the night and were gone. Obviously dealing with a pissed off Alpha Wolf of John's strength was more than they had bargained for that night.

As soon as he knew the strangers were gone, John changed back into his human form and cupped her face in his hands, "Joss are you alright? What the hell just happened?"

Joss morphed back to human form to answer him, "I'm fine and honestly, I have no idea what just happened. I was just running along trying to catch up to you and these guys came out of nowhere. It felt like they wanted to kill me, but I swear I've never seen them before."

"I've never seen them before either and I thought I knew every wolf in New York by now. Maybe you tangled with them in human form."

"I don't know, maybe. But I didn't get a vibe off them like I should know them. That big one was broadcasting some serious hate, though."

John nodded, "I felt it too. Fusco?"

Joss and John looked over at the other wolf and Joss had to stifle a laugh. Fusco was sitting with his back to them, refusing to look. He had not yet developed the typical casual Wolf attitude towards nudity. Of course Joss had to admit that he didn't exactly have the same physique that John had.

John rolled his eyes and sighed, "I know this makes you uncomfortable, Lionel, but I need you to tell me what happened."

Fusco groaned, got up and walked behind a bush into the shadows. A minute later they heard his voice, "I don't know any more than Joss. I was just a little bit ahead of her when she started broadcasting that she was in trouble, so I came running to find those three looking like they were going to rip her apart."

"You felt that?" Joss said, surprised.

"You were broadcasting pretty loudly, Joss," John said.

Joss did not have a chance to answer; the rest of the pack chose that moment to catch up to them. John quickly explained the situation and sent the pack to look for the strangers. "Fan out in groups of four, stay tight with your group; I don't want anyone to be caught alone by these Wolves. Call for me if you find them, but do not hurt them, understood? I want to find out what's going on here."

The pack disappeared into the brush.

Joss sighed and rested her head against John's chest. The adrenaline rush of the ambush had worn off and she was starting to shake. John put his arms around her, holding her so tightly she almost could not breathe. He kissed the top of her head. "I almost lost you tonight."

Joss looked up into the sliver blue eyes of her mate. "But I'm fine thanks to you, John. You have saved my life yet again."

"When I find those wolves…" he snarled, his Wolf evident though he was in human form.

Joss almost felt sorry for them. Almost.

John held her for several more minutes. Finally he pulled back, "Run with me, I need to get back to our bag and use my phone. I need to talk to Finch."

Joss smiled and morphed to wolf form. John called over to the bush Fusco had taken refuge behind, "You coming, Lionel?" and was answered with sharp bark. John smiled and morphed into the Alpha Wolf. He took off down the path followed closely by his beloved mate and his friend.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning John walked into the library, hoping Finch had found something. The ambush was weighing heavily on his mind. Not only was his precious mate in danger, but it went against all the Wolf Laws he had been raised with and lived by his entire life.

Finch looked up as John entered the room, "How is Joss?"

"She's fine, they never laid a fang on her." Reese's eyes were hard and cold, thinking of what had almost happened.

"Thank God for that." What Finch left unsaid was that had Joss been seriously injured or killed, he was afraid of what John would do to himself. John nearly drank himself to death after his previous love, Jessica had been killed and Finch shuddered to think how he would handle Joss's death. Jessica was not Wolf and she and John had not been mated. If John had been so deeply affected by the loss of someone who was not bonded to him, Finch really did not want to find out how he would handle the loss of his mate, the other half of his soul. Finch often found himself holding his breath whenever Joss was in a dangerous situation. Losing Joss meant losing John, too.

"Did you find anything, Finch?"

"Yes, I believe I have. There were a series of attacks on Wolf People in Boston a few months ago. It appears that among the victims were the Alpha of the Back Bay pack and his mate. From what I can tell, all the victims were in leadership positions in various Boston packs and all killed by other Wolves. From this, I'm guessing that those wolves last night would not have stopped at just Joss, they would have come after you next, counting on your grief over the loss of your mate to make you vulnerable."

"Packs rely heavily on their Alphas and their leadership structure. Someone either wants to take over the packs, or wants the packs out of the way," John mused.

"I see," Finch said. "According to the obituaries of the dead Alphas, the leadership transition was completed smoothly so it would appear that their plan failed in Boston.

"Did your pack manage to track the wolves that ambushed Jocelyn?"

"No, they were picked up by a car or a van just outside the park. We can't track vehicles very well, especially in the city. It requires lots of concentration and the city streets are just too busy and we risk exposure."

"I'll go through the footage of the traffic cams in the area and see if I can find them. Do you know the Alphas of any of the other NYC packs? I think we should warn them. And you and Jocelyn had better stay close to each other. They will undoubtedly try something again."

John nodded. "The pack leaders all try to get to know the leaders of the neighboring packs in case any…misunderstandings arise. I know most of the Alphas in New York."

"Misunderstandings?" Finch was puzzled.

"How much do you know about Wolf history?"

"You're the first Wolf I've known very well, John. I'm afraid Wolf History is one of the topics I know very little about. I would be most interested in a lesson."

"A long time ago, Wolf People used to be a lot more violent than we are today. We had the attitude that we were superior to non-wolves, so we could take what we wanted, when we wanted it. Regular humans often could not fight back effectively against the packs. We were stronger and faster; we could hear them and smell them long before they even knew we were there and we were highly organized. It was hard to fight back against all that, so we had few consequences for our actions. We often made the most violent street gangs look like kindergartners."

"I see and thus the stories that Wolves were mindless blood thirsty creatures when the moon was full."

John nodded. "Yes, mostly because we often were. Not because it's the nature of the Wolf, but because we could get away with it. Then gun technology advanced to the point that non-wolves could fight back effectively and things got ugly for us. Non-wolves were not just content to defend themselves; they started actively hunting and killing us. It was estimated that Wolves were twenty percent of the population at one time, now we're down to around three percent or less. There are large portions of Europe where there are no Wolves at all; the packs were completely wiped out in those regions.

"So we had to change our ways or be wiped off the face of the earth. That's when the code we live by today was developed. We couldn't be violent, arrogant killers, we had to become civilized and integrate into society or die.

"But we didn't limit the violence to regular humans; sometimes disputes would develop between different packs whose territories bordered on each other's. I heard stories from some of the old timers when I was growing up of vicious blood feuds that would wipe out both packs in their entirety. One of the jobs of the Alpha and the leadership is to nip any problems between packs in the bud. We Wolf People are an endangered species, so we can't afford to go around killing each other."

Finch nodded. "Very wise of you. But apparently there are a few Wolves out there who didn't get the memo."

John sighed. "Wolves have made such great strides. We are finally being accepted and putting the old stories to rest. We can't afford to have a pack of killer Wolves wandering around New York. I have to put a stop to it.

"Do we have a new number yet? I may have to ask Fusco to take it while I contact the other Alphas."

Finch nodded, "Two just came in an hour ago, a Mr. Bill Cross and his wife, Bess. Address in Harlem, both retired."

John looked startled, "Finch, they're Alphas of the Harlem pack."

"You had better get going then." Finch spoke urgently.

"On it, Finch. I have to stop and pick up Joss on the way; Alphas should always bring their mates when calling on another Alpha."

* * *

An hour later, John was parking the car outside the building where Bill Cross, Alpha of the Harlem pack for nearly thirty years and his mate Bess, resided. Joss was by his side.

"I don't understand why it's so important for me to be here, John," Joss said, confused by her mate's insistence that she drop everything and accompany him to Harlem.

"It goes back to our violent past. You were much less likely to get into a bloody fight or cause trouble if your mate's life was at stake, too."

Joss lifted her head and looked up at the building. "They know we're here."

"Good," John said. "Etiquette says I have to approach without any stealth, out in the open so they can see me coming. Proves I have no ill intent."

"Well we have that base covered. They're curious, not frightened."

"You can feel all that? From here?" John was amazed by and more than a bit proud of his mate.

"I don't know how, but, yeah."

John slid his arm around his mate and kissed her forehead. "You are the most amazing Alpha, Joss Carter."

"Don't you forget that, John Reese! Now let's go, I want to meet another Alpha."

Bill Cross threw open the door as soon as John knocked. He was the color of strong espresso, only a couple inches shorter than John, with a barrel chest, a booming bass voice that James Earl Jones would envy, a head of white hair, and a huge smile. Joss liked him instantly and she could tell that he liked John.

"John!" Good to see you, and you brought your lovely mate! Look Bess!"

Bess was several inches taller than Joss and her iron grey hair was cut short in a no-nonsense hair style but she had a large smile that rivaled her husband's. Her embrace of Joss was warm and welcoming, "How nice to finally meet John's mate. Welcome to our home."

Joss smiled at the warm, genuine welcome. "I'm delighted to be here, thank you."

"So, John, what brings you here? Not one of your investigations I hope." The cover story John used with other Wolves was that he was a private investigator working for Crow Security, one of Finch's many companies. This prevented other Wolves from becoming too defensive if they found John asking questions in their territory while he was working on one of the numbers. While the days of blood feuds between packs for the slightest infraction were pretty much over, John preferred not to take any chances.

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid that's exactly the reason we are here, Bill."

The Crosses immediately turned serious. "Sit down and tell us about it, John." Bill nodded to the couch.

John filled the Crosses in what they knew so far about the murders in Boston and the ambush on Joss. By the time he was done all trace of a smile was gone from Bill Cross's face and he was quite serious.

"So this Wolf who confronted you, you said he was full of hate?" Cross asked Joss.

Joss shivered a bit remembering all the hatred directed at her. "Yeah, waves of it rolling off him."

"And you think we will be targeted too?" Cross seemed more angry than frightened by this. His friendly face had gone hard and cold and Joss made a mental note to stay friends with Bill Cross. This Alpha should not be crossed lightly.

"My intel says yes. I'm working to find the people responsible, but it will take time. You need to be very careful in the meantime. Keep some of your pack members close by; don't be alone."

"I'll take precautions, thanks for the warning."

John stood up, "We need to talk to the other Alphas, too. Take care of yourself Old Wolf."

Bill shook John's hand warmly, "Thanks, John. I owe you one."

John smiled and shook his head, "No, you and Bess were very kind to me when I first came to New York. I owed you one."

Joss and John said good bye and returned to their car. "Now what? Joss asked, "Are you going to keep them under surveillance?"

John shook his head, "This is one time that being a Wolf puts me at a disadvantage on a case, I can't put them under surveillance without insulting them and their pack. It would be implying that I'm stronger than they are, that they can't take care of their own. Besides if Finch is right, the Crosses won't be the only Alphas that need to be protected."

Joss looked worried, "Do you think they will be alright? Will they take your advice?"

"They're not stupid; you don't get to be an Alpha for thirty years by being careless. We'll just have to trust that they'll take the proper precautions."

* * *

Their next stop was a small diner just off the docks on the East side of the city. John pulled into the small parking lot and turned off the car. He turned to Joss, "We're going to get a very different reception here; stick close to me and keep your eyes open."

Joss arched an eyebrow at her mate, "Why? What's wrong? You piss these guys off or something?"

"Just the fact I even exist pisses these guys off, more specifically their Alpha, Bert Gore. He's got an attitude and he's barely civilized. I think he would revert to the old ways if he thought he could get away with it, but he knows he can't. That makes him angry and he likes to challenge the other Alphas as often as he can."

"Why is he so angry? What did the other Alphas ever do to him?"

"He's insecure, his hold on his pack is tenuous at best. His pack is almost entirely dock workers, it's one of the most insular packs I have ever seen, so it's small. And he's not a Born Alpha like Bill or me; he fought his way to the top, literally. I suspect he murdered the former Alpha."

"Murdered his ALPHA?" Joss was shocked.

"During the old days, that was often how power was passed from one Alpha to another. However, it turns out that killing off members of your pack only made your pack vulnerable. You can only kill so many of your own people before the laws of Darwin take over."

"Sounds lovely," Joss said sarcastically.

"Since I am strictly following the laws of courtesy, Bert will too. He has to, or the other packs could wipe them out. But, we have to tread carefully; normally I would prefer to avoid this pack. Unfortunately, we have homicidal Wolves running around New York. I have to let Gore know or he might suspect one of the other packs to be the cause of any trouble on his turf. The last thing we need is a pack war on our hands."

They walked into the diner, pausing in the entryway and every head in the place turned to look at them. The stares were not friendly. Joss felt the tension in the room skyrocket, but she kept her face composed and even smiled a little, hoping to diffuse the situation a bit. Despite their Alpha status, if was obvious that Carter and Reese were not welcome here.

A young Wolf, broadcasting the bravado of the young and foolish, stepped in front of them blocking their access to the rest of diner. "Can I help you?" he asked in the mocking tone of voice one uses when one is pretending to be polite, but really isn't.

John maintained his calm despite the thinly veiled insult and Joss did the same. "Just a courtesy call, one Alpha to another." John emphasized the word "Alpha"; and while his mouth was smiling, his eyes were not as he sized up the man standing in his way.

"Vic, where are your manners?" Called out a nondescript looking man from the corner booth in back. "Reese brought his mate; that means he's not here to eat me."

The young Wolf, who was not the least bit chastised, stepped to one side with a cocky grin, leaving them barely enough room to pass. John didn't even glance at the man as he brushed by. Joss followed her mate's lead, but Vic let the exuberance of youth get the better of him and reached over to slap Joss's ass as she walked by.

Joss was not about to let the insolent pup get away with that. Instantly she spun, grabbed the offending hand and twisted it up and around. She slammed him up against the counter with his arm twisted painfully behind his back.

"There is only one Wolf allowed to touch this bitch, and you ain't him," she snarled while the young Wolf whimpered in pain. "Stop struggling or I'll shatter your elbow with another quarter twist on your arm."

Vic, sensing that she was not joking, stopped struggling as commanded. The tension in the room was so thick Joss almost couldn't breathe, but she didn't look up. She knew John was right behind her and would handle anyone who dared to try to intervene on Vic's behalf.

She held him against the counter for a couple of seconds after he stopped struggling, then snapped at him, "I'm going to let you up now, and you are going to go back to your table like a good little puppy. You got that? Make sure our paths never cross again."

Vic managed to choke out a "yes", so Joss released him and stepped back. She felt John at her back and she could feel the low growl in his throat and the hard stare he directed at Vic's back as he slunk back to his table. The poor kid had no idea how lucky he was that Joss had dealt with him instead of her mate. Once Vic had resumed his seat, John's hand settled possessively on Joss's shoulder and he gently steered her back to the booth where Bert Gore was waiting.

Joss slid into the booth; Reese sat down next to her and slipped his arm protectively around her shoulders. Gore was alone in the booth, the men who had been sitting with him when John and Joss has entered the diner had removed themselves.

"I'd like to apologize for Victor's lack of manners. He has recently been turned and he's been eager to show me his loyalty," Gore smirked at Joss.

Joss gave a stiff nod, acknowledging the insincere apology without really accepting it. "I assume you will be schooling him in the proper etiquette for greeting an Alpha in the near future," she said icily.

"Of course," Gore agreed amiably, but Joss knew good and well that was not going to happen. He turned his attention to John. "So, Reese, to what do I owe the pleasure of an Alpha to Alpha visit?"

John quickly briefed Bert Gore in the ambush on Joss the night before and what they knew about the deaths of the Alphas in Boston. Gore's faux amiable mood vanished.

"So you think those Alpha killers have moved to New York, eh? Well I dare them to come after me!" Gore growled. "My pack is loyal; they'll make short work of 'em." Joss looked around; the Wolves at the nearby tables were nodding in agreement, except for a few at the counter. She could feel their contempt for their Alpha burn her senses like a fire. They quickly controlled themselves, but she already knew they would be quite happy if their Alpha was a target. Joss suspected they might even be willing to kill Gore themselves before too long, their hatred was so strong.

John was right, Gore was insecure and he had good reason to be. Gore was a weak Alpha and he was facing a possible mutiny.

John stood up. "Good, glad to hear it. My mate and I will be taking our leave. Good day, Bert." Joss slid across the booth, put her hand in John's and stood up as well. They exited the diner at an unhurried pace. John did shoot Vic a hard look and rolled his lip back in an almost imperceptible snarl as they walked by the young Wolf's table and the youngster cowed visibly. Joss doubted she would ever have to worry about inappropriate touching from young Vic ever again.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Joss could feel the tension in the diner slowly dissipate. She had to admit that she was glad to be out of that place. In a lot of ways it was much worse than the worst biker bar she had been in and she'd been in some bad ones.

Joss breathed a sigh of relief as she settled into the seat of the car. "That has got to rank among the top ten nastiest places I have been and I'm a New York homicide detective; I've been to some of the worst places in the city."

John was grim, "The atmosphere reminds me of some of the third world holes I had to frequent during my CIA days. Sorry I had to drag you along to that. Gore seems to be getting worse, not better."

"Well I don't think you have to worry much longer. A couple of his so-called "loyal" pack members have murder on their minds. Bert's problems will come from within his pack, not from any out-of-towners."

John raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"Yep, when ol' Bertie was bragging about how loyal his pack was, the big guy at the counter and the scrawny guy next to him were most definitely not on board. They were broadcasting some serious hate at their Alpha. I expect to have a new case in my inbox soon."

John snorted, "Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. I won't be sorry to see him go."

Then a thought occurred to Joss, "Where was his mate? I saw very few women in there."

"Gore's mate broke their bond and left New York last year. No one knows for sure why she left. I suspect she found out he murdered the previous Alpha and she didn't want to be mated to a murderer."

"The mating bond can be broken?" It had never occurred to Joss that the bond could be broken.

John started the car and drove out the parking lot. "The bond can be broken, it's tough, but it can be done. One of the bonded pair has to fall out of the love with the other one. Usually it takes some heinous act like the murder of the Alpha to do it, though. It's not something that happens often. We are pretty cautious about who we choose as our mate."

"I don't get it, people fall out of love all the time though."

"Wolves don't. Or at least not often. The bonding tends to hold us together."

"John? Joss?" Finch's voice interrupted them. "How fast can you get back here? I may have found something."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"What do you have, Finch?" John asked as he and Joss entered the computer room.

"I've found a website with some interesting racial theories when it comes to Wolf People. Apparently some of your fellow Wolves are not happy being "civilized" as you put it earlier."

"I've known a few Wolves who would like to assert their superiority over non-Wolves, but they are a small minority. Most of us realize our race almost got wiped out and still could be, if non-Wolves felt threatened by us again."

"Well it looks like someone is trying to organize the minority into a majority. Look."

John and Joss looked over Finch's shoulder at a website called "Legion of the Lupine," extolling the superiority of the Wolf over the non-Wolf. "It's like the Aryan Brotherhood for Wolves," Joss observed. "Look, they even advocate killing 'Traitors', Alphas who enforce the Code."

John was radiating anger and his blue eyes had gone glacial. "I need to know who's behind this." His snarl was particularly wolf-like, even in his human form.

Finch looked smug. "Fortunately they have appallingly bad security. A first year computer science student could have hacked the site." Joss had to stifle a giggle at Finch, he was obviously quite disgusted with Legion of the Lupine.

"The site is run by a Brian Rodgers, who lived in Boston until a month ago. He just relocated to New York. Coincidence? I think not."

"Any known associates?"

"I hacked his email. He corresponds with many people, but mostly Peter Dunbar of Brooklyn and Mark Ryder, also of Brooklyn. It seems they arranged "outings," as they called them, on the exact same nights the Alphas of Boston were attacked and again last night."

"So why didn't Joss's number come up last night?"

"From what I read, it looks like they were not planning any violence; it was more of a reconnaissance mission to gather data on you and your pack. The ambush of Joss was spur of the moment, a crime of opportunity, which the Machine cannot detect, as you know. They probably could not believe their luck when they thought they had caught her alone."

"Well, their luck just ran out. It's time to show them what Wolf on Wolf violence really looks like," John snarled as he headed for the door.

Joss ran after him, "I'm going with you, John. No way is my mate going without me."

John grabbed Joss by the arms and looked her straight in the eye, "Joss, if you go with me, you will not be going as a police officer, you will be going as my mate, as an Alpha Wolf. You will leave your badge and service weapon here and we'll settle this Wolf style."

Joss searched his eyes for a second, then placed her gun and badge on the table. "Watch these for me, Harold."

"They will be waiting for you when you get back, Jocelyn."

John got Joss a new gun from his considerable arsenal, and they left to find the head of the Legion of the Lupine.

* * *

The address Finch had for Brian Rodgers was one of the most dilapidated, fleabag hotels Joss had ever seen. "Nice accommodations," Joss noted, "no wonder our boy is angry." John snorted, "I think on my worst days as a drunk I would have avoided this place."

No clerk was on duty at the desk, and there were no signs of life as they moved silently up to the top floor where Rodgers was supposed to be holed up. They took up positions on either side of the door to his room, and John reached over and tapped on the door. There was no answer, no sound to indicate that anyone was home. John swiftly kicked the door in and Joss followed him into the room.

It seemed that Brian Rodgers did not have a lot of material possessions, so it only took a few minutes to search the room. There were a few clothes, and their sizes indicated that Rodgers was a fairly large man, so Joss deduced that he was probably the big Wolf whose hate and anger had been so blinding that night they tried to attack her .

While Joss searched the rest of the room, John started going through the papers and books on the nightstand. He found a list of the Alphas of Boston with the names of the dead Alphas crossed out, he also found a partial list of the Alphas of NYC, with Bill and Bess Cross listed at the top, and his and Joss's names just below. Seeing his friends and his mate listed on a hit list filled him with rage and his Wolf side snarled and vowed revenge. Rodgers was a dead man if John had anything to say about it.

Just then, Joss stopped dead in her tracks, she had felt the presence of another Wolf. "John, someone's on the roof."

"Let's go check it out, there's not much here."

John headed for the stairwell and Joss checked out the fire escape, intending to go up that way, but it did not go all the way to the roof, the ladder was missing. Big chunks of the fire escape were missing all the way down to the street. She frowned and made a mental note to call in to the housing department for code violations, this place really needed to be shut down as unsafe. She followed John to the stairwell, the only entrance and exit for the roof.

They reached the door to the roof and discovered that there was no door knob, the door only had a latch that was currently unlatched and an unlocked padlock dangled from the latch.

John went through the door to the roof first and his heart sank when he took in the number of hiding places it had. There was a lot of junk up here and it was going to take them a while to search it all. Joss followed behind him and he could see by the expression on her face that she was thinking the same thing he was.

They moved off towards the first pile and as soon as they were a several yards from the door they heard movement and turned just in time to see Brian Rodgers rush through the stairwell door and lock it behind him.

John swore and tried the door. Rodgers had locked the padlock on the latch and after several minutes of them trying to force the door open, they realized they were probably going to have to call Fusco or Finch to come let them out. John pulled his phone out to call Fusco when suddenly Joss grabbed his arm, "I smell smoke!"

John laid his palm flat against the door; it was warm to the touch. He ran to the side of the building and looked over the edge, flames were already shooting out of the window to Rodgers's room. "He set the place on fire! This old place is going to burn fast."

Joss ran to the other side of the building, "Flames on this side too, I can't believe how fast it's moving! He must have set the entire top floor on fire!"

Joss looked up at John trying to keep the fear out of her eyes but she wasn't succeeding. The flames were getting worse every second and they had no way out.

Unless….

John looked at the distance to the next building. They could not make that leap as humans, but in their Wolf forms they could do it. Only one problem, it was daytime and Joss had only changed under the full moon. John could change at will, but Joss….

John tapped his earpiece, "Talk to me, Finch."

"The fire alarm has been triggered but it will take fire fighters a few minutes to get there, John," Finch's voice answered.

Joss leaned her head against John's arm, "They won't get to us in time, will they?"

John didn't answer, instead he nodded his head to the building next door. "We'll have to jump for it."

Joss lifted her head and looked over the chasm. "I can't make that jump."

"You can as a Wolf."

Joss shook her head, "You know I can't change now, not during the day." She looked up at him with tears running down her face, "you'll have to go without me," she whispered.

"No," John's response was immediate and firm.

"John, don't be stupid, if you stay here…" Joss started to say.

John interrupted, "I will not leave you, Joss. We both go or we both stay, but I will not leave this roof unless you are with me."

"John..." Joss was pleading now. She could not bear the thought that he would die unnecessarily.

John grabbed Joss's face in his hand and forced her to look up at him. "I will not leave you here to die. I can't. I can't live without you and I sure as hell can't live without you knowing I left you behind."

"John, please, don't sacrifice yourself. I need you to look after Taylor for me," Joss begged.

"And how can I tell Taylor I ran off and left his mother behind to die? No. I can't do that, Joss. I won't live without you." John's voice choked off for a minute and Joss looked up to find his eyes closed and his mouth pressed in a thin line. John opened his eyes and looked down at her, "You're going to have to change."

Tears formed in Joss's eyes, "John, I can't change now, I'm not like you…"

John grabbed her face in his hands and forced her to look at him, "Yes you are, my mate. Joss, you can change, I know you can, baby. Just look into my eyes and focus. You can do this. We both live or we both die right here."

Joss was terrified. John had told her before that he thought she could learn to change when the moon was not full, but now both their lives depended on it. She had no doubt that John would not leave her; she had to admit that if the roles were reversed, she wouldn't leave him either. She had to try. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and centered herself. Slowly she opened her eyes to stare directly back into John's sliver blue eyes.

Joss stared into her mate's eyes, blocking out everything else around them. The smoke, the flames, the sirens from the fire trucks, the shouts of the firemen, they all ceased to exist for her. Focusing herself, she willed herself to change. She was not sure how long she took, it was most definitely not her usual fast change, but all of a sudden she realized that she was in wolf form standing on her hind legs with her front paws on John's forearms. John reached down and kissed her softly on her forehead, "That's my girl." Then he changed.

John nodded to Joss and he backed several yards away from the edge to give them enough room to build up speed, Joss followed and they began to run. They sailed through the air, landing on the roof of the next building over with room to spare. They rolled a few times, and the next thing Joss knew John was thoroughly sniffing her over, looking for injuries. She nuzzled him gently to let him know that she was fine. He nuzzled her back and licked her ear and down her muzzle. They leaned against each other, just soaking in the fact that they were both alive and they still had each other.

After a few minutes, they both started down the fire escape, heading for the library and Finch. They were going to have to remain in Wolf form, since their clothes, phones and guns had been left behind on the roof of the burning building. Before they had gone half a block they heard the roof collapse on the hotel.

* * *

Back at the library, Finch was desperately trying to pull himself together. John had left the call open and Finch had heard the entire exchange.

A long time ago, when he and John first started working the numbers, Finch had told John that he fully expected one or both of them to die. But all John was to him at that time was a useful tool, not the close friend he had become. They all had several brushes with death before, but hearing John calmly declare he would die with Joss rather than leave her behind overwhelmed Harold in a way that nothing else had before. For a few minutes, Finch briefly thought he was going to have a front row seat to the deaths of his two dearest friends.

Harold took his glasses off, put his head in his hands and cried for several minutes while Bear nuzzled him. He finally calmed down and dried his eyes. He leaned back in his chair and took several deep breaths. Harold stroked Bear idly and for probably the first time since he and Reese had started working the numbers, he seriously considered ending the project. He wished he'd given more consideration to the idea of giving John and Joss enough money so they could move away from New York, away from the danger and have a nice quiet life. If he'd thought for one second they would take him up on is offer, he would have done it. But he'd known they would not be happy living a quiet life, not yet. Maybe in a few years….

Fortunately for Finch, the two Wolves needed to stick to back alleys and streets with little traffic, so it took them some time to make it back to the library. It was one of the longest hours of his life but Finch had time to recover his composure and begin to make plans for every eventuality. He was further relieved when he heard the distant click of nails on the hard floors. He was waiting for them calmly when they came bounding up the stairs to the computer room.

"I'm so glad you're both alright," he said as they trotted in, giving no sign of how upset he had been, or so he thought. But he had not counted on Joss's sensitivities. She paused and looked at him, then walked over to him and gave him a gentle lick on the cheek before she followed John down the hall into the makeshift bedroom where they both kept a change of clothes.

Once they were both in the room John pushed the door shut and they changed back to human form. John grabbed Joss and pulled her into a passionate embrace and kissed her fiercely, which Joss returned with equal fervor.

After a few minutes, Joss stepped back and looked up at him, gently laying her hand on his cheek, "You were going to die rather than leave me," she said in a soft voice. "I'm not sure anyone has ever been willing to do that for me before."

John moved his hands so that his fingers were behind her head at the base of her skull and his thumbs were under her jaw, He held her so that she could not look away from his eyes, "I will not under any circumstance live without you, do you understand? I can't, I just…can't," he said in a hoarse whisper.

Joss let the tears run down her face. She was completely unable to respond. John gently kissed her tears away and held her close.

After Joss's tears were dried and her composure regained, John was all business, "Let's get dressed. Those sons of bitches have made two attempts on my mate's life. I won't allow that to go unpunished."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

John and Joss got dressed and joined Finch in the computer room. Finch already had replacement phones ready for them and the addresses for Rodgers's known associates.

"We currently have a big advantage. I checked Rodgers's email; he thinks he succeeded in killing you both in that fire. He sent a rather triumphant email to his mailing list. They will go after the Crosses tonight," Finch informed them.

John nodded and stepped away to call Bill Cross and tell him about the latest developments.

While John was calling Cross, Joss texted Taylor to meet them at the library after school. She did not want him alone in the apartment; she had to assume the Legion of the Lupine knew where they lived.

When she was done, John grabbed her hand. "There was no answer, we'll have to go find them."

They grabbed new guns from the arsenal and left.

Joss had to smile when Finch called, "Be careful!" after them. John looked back puzzled. "What's up with him?"

"I think he heard us on the roof back at the hotel. He hid it well, but he was very upset when we got back."

"Are you sure? He looked fine to me."

"He didn't _feel_ fine to me."

John looked thoughtful. "I think I need to rethink our approach, Joss. I have been charging ahead in typical Wolf fashion, exactly what Rodgers expects. That's how he got the drop on us back at the hotel. I need to let you lead, using your abilities."

"What do you mean?"

"Before we go charging in, we wait and let you feel out the situation first. I'll bet you could have found Rodgers on that roof if I had just let you."

"John Reese not going in with guns blazing? I never thought I would see the day!" Joss teased, drawing a slight smile from her mate. Then she grew serious, "I'm still getting used to these abilities, John. I'm not sure you want to bet your life on them just yet."

"I know, that's why you should take every excuse to exercise them. I have a feeling you're going be one of the most powerful Wolves in New York."

Joss rolled her eyes. "Get serious, John."

"I am serious."

Joss stopped and stared at her mate. He looked back at her without hint of a smile, he WAS serious. Joss gaped at him. "I'm small for a Wolf, how can I be one of the most powerful Wolves in the city?" she asked with a look of incredulity.

"Because you know things others don't. You can find people, know exactly where they are. Do I really need to explain to an ex-soldier how important it is to know your enemies' position?"

Joss sighed, he had a point, but she thought the most powerful Wolf was a big stretch, even with her 'advantages'. However she was not ready to argue the point; she would trust her mate and see how it all played out.

She did not have to wait long to find out, as soon as they pulled up to the Cross's building, she knew something was very, very wrong. She could feel that Bill Cross was frightened and in pain. As soon has John slowed the car down, she leapt out and flew up the stairs. "Joss, wait!" John called after her, but she knew she didn't have time to wait. She didn't even knock; she just burst into the Cross's apartment.

Bill Cross was on his back wrestling fiercely with a strange man Joss assumed was one of Rodgers's associates. Cross was already suffering from a couple of stab wounds and was bleeding profusely. Joss realized that she could not pull her gun, she might hit the struggling Cross, so she lunged forward and tackled the man off of him. She quickly rolled to her feet in one fluid motion and turned to face the assailant. He still had his knife and he lunged recklessly at her. She nimbly dodged the attack and smashed her foot with all her strength into his knee. The assailant dropped to the floor, screaming in pain.

"That's enough," Joss looked up to see John standing in the doorway with his gun pointed at the assailant. The stranger snarled at John but did not dare move.

Joss dropped to her knees next to Cross and began assessing his wounds. He had lost a lot of blood, and he needed immediate medical attention. Joss tapped her earpiece, "Finch, we need to get an ambulance here NOW!"

"I'll call them right now."

John advanced on the assailant as he sat on the floor holding his damaged knee, and smashed the butt of his gun on his temple. The man crumpled to the floor without a sound, out cold.

John turned to Joss, "I think you have the situation under control. I'm going to take our boy here for a ride and ask him a few questions. I'll see you back at the library." John slung the man over his shoulder and headed down the back stairs to the car.

He was gone before the ambulance crew and the police arrived. Joss claimed that she scared off the would-be killer and gave them a description of the man John had hauled off. Joss felt a bit bad about lying to a fellow officer, but she knew the police were simply not equipped to handle this case. They knew so little about Wolf on Wolf violence and they often did not bother to investigate such cases thoroughly, preferring to let the Wolves fight it out amongst themselves. Mentally she rolled her eyes at herself. John was definitely having an effect on how she viewed right and wrong.

After she was done with talking to the police at the Cross's apartment, she got a ride to the hospital to check on Bill. She found Bess sitting in the waiting room. Bess leaped up when she saw Joss and embraced her.

"Thank you for saving him. Stubborn Old Wolf, I told him to call someone to come sit with him while I did the shopping." Bess was near tears.

Joss held Bess's hand, "I'm glad I could help. How is he?"

Bess waved her hand, "He's going to be fine, after a long recovery." Then Bess leaned in and whispered into Joss's ear, "Did the guy really get away?"

Joss winked at her and said softly, "No, John has him. He's questioning him as we speak."

Bess nodded, "That's good. I can trust John to do the right thing." Joss knew Bess meant the right thing Wolf style.

Joss grabbed both of Bess's hands in her own. "Bess, listen to me, this is not over. This guy was not acting alone. There are at least two or three more wolves out there who may try to harm you and Bill. Probably more. You have got to be more careful."

"They will not be alone, I promise," said a deep voice from behind her.

Joss turned and saw a younger version of Bill Cross standing next to her and she could sense he was another Born Alpha. The young man was tall like his father and had a commanding presence similar to John's. Bess introduced him as their son Zac. Bess then moved off to greet another new arrival, probably a pack member, leaving Zac with Joss.

"Thank you for saving my dad. You're Reese's mate, aren't you?" the young man asked.

Joss smiled, it still made her heart soar to be identified at John's mate. "Yes, I am," she said simply.

"Did I hear you correctly, there are more Wolves out there who would hurt my parents?"

Joss nodded. "I was accosted the other night by three Wolves and we're sure there are more. We don't know how many more there may be. They appear to be a small but well-organized group. John and I are working on the case, but be sure your parents are never alone until we get the rest of them."

Zac nodded. "Don't worry about them, I'll make sure of it." Zac had the same calm, quiet authority that John had and Joss knew the Crosses were in good hands now.

Joss gave Zac her card, "Call me if you need anything." Zac assured her he would. Confident that he had the situation under control, Joss left the hospital. She thought about hailing a cab, but she needed to call Finch and decided that she didn't want the cabbie overhearing their conversation. She started walking and placed the call.

"Detective, how are the Crosses?" Finch answered.

"Bill is going to be fine, Bess was unhurt. Their son and several other pack members are with them now."

"That is very good news. Have you heard from John yet?"

"No I was hoping you had," Joss sighed.

"No, he must still be interrogating the suspect. You don't feel him?"

"I try not to when he's interrogating a suspect, my emotions get in the way and I distract him. This guy is a Wolf and Wolves are harder to crack. The last thing John needs is me messing with his head. Is Taylor there with you?"

"Yes. He came right after school as you requested. I was just about to send him out for dinner."

"I'm on my way back, I'll grab something."

"Where are you, Detective? I'll send a car for you."

Joss gave him her location and few minutes later a limo pulled up to the curb. Joss sank gratefully into the plush leather seat. It had been a long day and she was exhausted. She really wanted to reach out to John. She could use the reassurance of their mating bond right then, but she knew better than to distract him when he was busy. She would just have to wait for him to call when he knew something. She just hoped it would be soon.

Joss stopped at Finch's favorite Italian restaurant and picked up enough pasta for the three of them plus John if he showed up. When she reached the library, Taylor fell on the food like a plague of locusts while Finch and Joss watched him indulgently. After they ate, Taylor excused himself to go to the room John and Joss had fixed up for him for the nights they spent at the library to do his homework.

"Don't forget I need to check your Trig homework!" Finch called after him as Taylor disappeared around the corner. Joss could not help but smile. For so long it had just been her and Taylor, but now they had not just John, but Harold, Lionel and the pack. Things certainly had changed since she'd asked a certain hurting wino with the most incredible eyes she had ever seen if he had needed any help. He had, but not the type she'd thought.

She closed her eyes and thought of that first meeting. Those incredible eyes of John's had captured her attention even from across the precinct. That soft voice of his asking her if he was in trouble washed over her again. She had sensed that this was no ordinary man under the shaggy unwashed hair and the dirty rags that covered him. Little did she know just how extraordinary he really was.

Finch glanced over at Joss and saw her smile, "Penny for your thoughts, Detective?"

"Just thinking about how much our lives have changed since we all found each other. Not too long ago, Taylor didn't have any father figures in his life and now he has John, Fusco and you."

Finch's blue eyes twinkled at her, "A crooked cop, a paranoid computer programmer and an ex-CIA assassin. Quite the collection of father figures for an impressionable young mind."

Joss laughed, "And yet it works." She leaned over and gave Finch a kiss on the cheek. "I don't think I have ever really thanked you for everything. I could not be happier than I am right now and it all started with you."

Finch squirmed like a six year old in church. He was not a person who was comfortable with emotions and he had never envisioned himself becoming what was essentially the patriarch of the weird little family they had become. When he had started working with John and the numbers, he planned on it being just the two of them. He had not anticipated John falling in love with such a strong, smart, loving woman, nor had he anticipated Fusco's turnaround into a loyal friend and ally. Finch had actively resisted bringing Carter and Fusco in, so he didn't feel like he deserved much credit for the current state of their "family." But however it happened and whoever deserved the credit, he was glad it had happened and he was happy with their family, too.

Finch was grateful that Fusco chose that moment to make an appearance. He walked in, sniffing the air, looking more like his Wolf side in human form than Joss had ever seen. "Oh man, if I knew you guys were getting Italian, I would have waited to eat until I got here."

Joss smiled at him, "Well since you already ate, I'll put the rest of this away for John."

"Alpha Boy's not here?"

Joss snorted at the nickname. "No, he's still interrogating the guy we caught trying to kill Bill Cross this afternoon."

Fusco checked his watch and lifted an eyebrow, "Still? Wow, this guy may set a new record."

Joss shrugged, "He's Wolf; we're harder to crack."

"But not impossible," John said as he strolled into the room and gathered Joss into his arms.

Joss allowed herself a few seconds to bury her face in John's chest and then she broke the embrace. "Hungry? There's plenty left."

"You know I don't like to eat when I'm working."

"Eat, you're too damn skinny," Joss snapped at hm.

John merely gave her a goofy grin. "Yes, MOM," he said in a dead-on impersonation of Taylor. Fusco snorted and Finch even smiled a little. Joss didn't care, the guys could tease her all they wanted, but she was going to make sure her mate was taken care of, no matter what. It was her job as his mate and the Alpha Female and she took her duties seriously.

As John started eating his dinner under Joss's watchful eye, he brought them up to date on what he'd gotten out of Cross's attacker, who turned out to be Peter Dunbar.

Rodgers's plan was simple, kill off some key Alphas and throw the local Wolf Society into chaos so the ideas of the Legion of the Lupine could take hold and spread. Killing off the Alphas who enforced the code would make it easier for Rodgers to recruit Wolves into the Legion. They had caused some chaos in Boston, but the packs there had strong Betas who could step into the Alpha role and prevent Rodgers from taking over.

His plan in Boston was foiled, so Rodgers had decided to move to New York and try again. They had targeted John's pack since it was a fairly new pack and they felt it was more likely than the older packs to be without a strong leadership backup. They had targeted the Harlem pack because Bill Cross was getting old and they assumed, weak.

John turned to Joss, "How is the Old Wolf?'

"He's going to be fine, if Bess doesn't kill him herself. Zac assured me they won't be left alone again."

John nodded in satisfaction, "Zac is a good man, they'll be in good hands. The Legion won't get a second chance there." John turned to Fusco, "Lionel, did you have any luck with those names of the Legion of the Lupine members I gave you?"

Fusco handed three folders over to John. "Yeah, Brian Rodgers has a long rap sheet of petty crimes. He has anger management issues, no surprise there. He beat up a guy pretty bad back in Philly a few years ago and spent some time in the slammer for it. He ran with a Wolf gang in jail. Your boy Dunbar also has some petty stuff on his record, mostly bar fights and some petty theft. Mark Ryder shot a guy as a kid but got off on a technicality. He's also got anger issues; his ex has a restraining order on him for domestic violence. He's got a new honey and he's knocked her around a few times, but she won't press charges."

"Bunch of solid citizens there," Joss sniffed. "Anything tying them to the murder of the Boston Alphas?"

"Not at first. I talked to the Boston detective on the case and they had no leads. They had figured it was some sort of Wolf on Wolf violence but all the Wolves who had a known beef with the dead Alphas had air-tight alibis. Rodgers wasn't even on their radar until I told him about the Legion. He called me back a little while ago. They managed to match Rodgers's prints to some found at the scene of one of the murders. There will be a warrant out for Rodgers in the morning."

"What else did you get out of Dunbar?" Joss asked John.

"They picked up a few more followers here in New York, Leslie Jennings, George May and Anton Thomas were all scouting the Harlem pack while Rodgers, Dunbar and Ryder were ambushing Joss. Ryder's girlfriend Layla McDonald drove the van they used to get away after they ran off. Rodgers could be with any of them right now. Rodgers is definitely the leader. If we can get him it will pretty much kill the Legion of the Lupine before they can do any more damage."

"Cut the head off the snake," Finch said.

John's face was hard and cold, "Exactly."

"So now what's the plan?" Fusco asked. "Do we take them out or what?"

John shook his head, "They pretty much rotate meeting at various members' homes, diners, coffee houses, so they will be harder to find. Rodgers could be staying with any of them since the hotel burned, or he could have found another hotel. I want to focus on him for now. We can take down the others as the opportunities present themselves, but I want Rodgers." John snarled out Rodgers name while looking at Joss and his meaning was clear, anyone who messed with his mate was going to face John's version of Wolf on Wolf violence.

Fusco nodded his approval. He usually approved of direct action and his moral compass was considerably more flexible than Joss's.

John continued, "With Finch's help, I'm going to track down Rodgers. I doubt they have figured out that Finch has hacked their emails. This may take a few days and I don't want Joss left alone." He paused and looked at Fusco. Fusco nodded again; he was used to sticking close to Joss on John's orders, but he probably would have anyway. Even before Fusco was turned, he was a creature of loyalty and his innate loyalty was directed at John, his Alpha, and by extension, his Alpha's mate.

Joss just rolled her eyes, John's extreme protectiveness towards her often drove her insane with frustration, but she knew it came from a place of devotion and love, so she was getting better at tolerating it. Barely.

"John, I'm the Alpha Female of a Wolf pack, I'll be fine. I am quite capable of taking care of myself and my pack. Give me some respect."

John stopped eating and looked her straight in her the eye with a look so intense that Joss was surprised that it didn't burn her, "I chose you for my mate because I needed a mate who was tough and independent. But this is not about respecting you; this is about keeping you alive. They have already tried to kill you twice and they will try again. I may not be close enough to help you next time. I will not lose you. You are half my soul and if anything happened to you, I would die."

Joss growled, but knew the argument was closed. John was right, she had been lucky Fusco and Reese had been close enough to intervene when she had been ambushed.

"I assume we can't go back to the apartment?" Joss asked grumpily. She really did prefer sleeping in her own bed when possible.

"I don't think so. We have to assume that since they knew where the Crosses lived, that they also know where we live. We will have to stay at one of the safe houses or here at the Library until The Legion has been dealt with."

Taylor called from down the hall, "Can we stay at the house on Long Island?"

The men looked at Joss, confused as to why the teen would want to stay so far out.

Joss smiled knowingly and said, "It has a pool."

Finch's eyes twinkled as he called back down the hall, "Perhaps on the weekend, Taylor. Now where is that Trig homework?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

That night John took Joss to the nearby park to practice self-defense in Wolf form. "If we have homicidal Wolves running around New York, I want you to be able to defend yourself," he told her. "I know you can defend yourself in human form, I need to be sure you can do it as a Wolf, too."

They put their clothes in their usual spot and changed into their Wolf forms, then they went bounding out onto the lawn where Joss had first seen John as the Alpha Wolf.

Joss loved being a Wolf. She loved to feel the power of the Wolf as she ran. She loved the strength and agility her Wolf form gave her. She felt incredibly free as a Wolf. She loved the heightened senses and the increased strength. She felt strong and powerful.

She joyfully ran a lap around the lawn area as John watched indulgently. He had been born a Wolf so he was amused by the fact that Joss found Wolf form so invigorating. To him it was just second nature, he had been this way his whole life. Joss once tried to explain it to him, but she'd had trouble verbalizing how different it was being Wolf after spending forty years as a non-Wolf. John just decided to accept the fact that Joss was going to be frisky for a while right after changing and patiently waited while she got it out of her system.

He was actually quite delighted that she had taken to the life of a Wolf so easily and with such enthusiasm. Her turning had been hasty and necessary to save her life, she had not asked for it nor had he had time to prepare her for it. Once the emotions from that awful night had worn off, he'd been worried that she would regret her choice, that she would reject being a Wolf and reject him along with it. But not only had Joss taken to being Wolf with great joy, she had become his mate and the most amazing Alpha Female he could have hoped for.

Joss stopped racing around and came to stand in front of him, smiling a wide Wolf smile, eyes shining. John answered her smile with one of his own and gently nuzzled her, coming to rest with his jaw on the back of her neck. She leaned against him with a sigh of contentment. They stood like that for moment and then John stepped back and nodded at Joss. Joss nodded back indicating that she was ready.

John moved to the center of the lawn and turned to face his mate. Joss took a deep breath and remembered John's lecture, "Always keep your head towards the Wolf you are fighting, don't let them get behind you. Don't get in a strength contest, you won't win. You're small and fast, use that to your advantage. Go in underneath their defenses and go for the neck."

Joss lunged at John trying to stay low. John blocked her. Joss lunged again, John blocked her again. They circled each other, Joss looking for a weakness in John's defense. After a couple of circles, Joss faked left and lunged right. She managed to land a nip low on John's side just in front of his hind leg before he recovered. John smiled his approval at her and she preened happily.

They resumed sparring, but this time instead of just defending, John began a series of attacks. Joss was annoyed to find him holding back, as if he were afraid to hurt her. She had seen him sparring with other Wolves and he was not nearly as delicate with them. Angry, and not sure how to communicate that to him, she stalked off into the bushes. John followed her a few minutes later.

He frowned after he morphed back to human. "What's wrong?"

Joss morphed and snapped, "You're holding back John! You have to treat me like any other Wolf or I won't be able to learn!"

John's blue eyes softened with love and understanding as he stared at her for a few moments. He laid his large hands on her shoulders and gazed down tenderly at her. "You are not just another Wolf, you never were and you never will be." He morphed back to Wolf form and left the bushes.

"Oh I don't think so, Mr. Alpha," Joss snapped, morphed back to Wolf form and followed John.

As soon as she left the bushes, John began aggressively attacking her. Joss was startled by John's explosive power and tried to run to give herself some room for a counter attack, but John pursued, mercilessly nipping at her flanks. She spun and lunged at him, but he knocked her on her side with a powerful swipe of his paw and pinned her to the ground. He held her down for a few seconds with his front paws and then nonchalantly stepped off her. He waited for her to get back up and shake the leaves and dirt from her fur.

Joss was furious with herself for losing so badly and so quickly. _Me and my big mouth_, she thought to herself. She glanced over at her mate and saw that he was smirking at her. She growled at him and his smirk only got bigger.

They resumed their sparring, this time Joss kept her head pointed to John and didn't let his aggressive tactics rattle her. She even managed to land a few nips on him when she was able to stay low. John seemed to be quite pleased with her progress.

Finally, John decided that they had done enough for one night; his mate was clearly tiring. He stopped and gently nuzzled her. She gazed up at him and nodded.

John led her back into the bushes where they had left their clothes and they changed back to their human form. "Much better," John said as he dressed. "As long as you remember to stay low and use your speed, you'll give any Wolf a fight."

Joss was exhausted. Fighting a Wolf of John's size and speed was not easy for a small Wolf like her. John sensed how tired she was and protectively wrapped an arm around her as they walked back to the library, taking care to shorten his stride and walk slowly for her. She leaned against him, grateful for the support and love.

They reached the library and Joss went to check on Taylor. He was already in bed, with Bear draped across his legs, but not asleep. Joss kissed him good night on his cheek as he tried to squirm away from her, but with Bear's weight pinning him in place, he was unsuccessful. "MOM!" he whined. Joss gave Bear's ears a good scratching and went to the room she shared with her mate.

John had already shed his clothes down to his boxers and was in bed waiting for her. Joss removed her clothes and snagged one of John's shirts to sleep in. She crawled into bed and snuggled up to her mate, sighing with contentment. Seconds later they were asleep.

* * *

A few nights later, John was staking out the house of one of the Legion of the Lupine members when Lassen, a member of his pack, slid into the seat next to him. Lassen was an orderly who had cared for Joss in the Wolf Clinic after she had been shot and then turned. John had asked Lassen to stand guard over Joss for several nights and John suspected that the big man had developed a minor crush on his mate. John was positive that Lassen would walk barefoot over broken glass for Joss if she asked him to.

John looked over at Lassen in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"Special delivery, Alpha," the orderly replied, amused, as he tossed a paper bag and a thermos over to Reese. John looked in the bag and saw a couple of sandwiches, an apple and a bag of chips.

"Joss?" John grumbled.

"Joss. And I am to watch while you eat at least one of the sandwiches and report back to her."

"She knows I don't eat while I'm on a case."

"She knew you were going to say that and I am directed to remind you that it is the job of the Alpha Female to care for her mate and her pack."

John growled, annoyed. "OK, you can tell her you delivered it."

"Sorry John. I'm not going to disappoint my Alpha Female, you need to eat."

"Lassen, who are you more scared of me or her?" John snarled at the big man.

Lassen replied without hesitation, "Her. My mama taught me to never mess with an Alpha Bitch."

"Lassen, she's half your size!" John laughed.

Lassen grinned back, "She's also an expert shot."

"Well, she could have at least brought it herself," John complained. He always liked it when his mate joined him on stakeouts.

"She was going to, but then Bobby Conrad had a bike accident. She and Taylor are down at the hospital with Lenore making sure he gets the right care. The work of the Alpha Female is never done." It was obvious that Lassen had an extremely high opinion of his Alpha Female. As Lassen had already pointed out, it was her job to care for not just for her mate but for her entire pack and Joss took her responsibilities as the pack's matriarch as seriously as she took her police work.

Packs functioned as an extended family/ social clubs and the Alphas took on the role of parental figures. They were expected to not just lead their pack but to be sure that pack members were taken care of as well whether it be medical emergencies, extended illness, new baby, old age or any other situation where assistance would be needed. No Wolf who belonged to a pack was ever alone and it was part of the Alphas' job to be sure aide was provided. No one expected the Alphas to do everything, but it was up to the Alphas to be sure someone was helping out. Lassen, as a born Wolf, had seen a few Alphas who were rather lax in their pack responsibilities, so he was quite happy to belong to a pack that had a diligent and dedicated leadership.

Knowing he was beaten, John sighed and ate. He didn't look over at Lassen because he was quite sure the big man was laughing at him. To be sure, John was quite pleased that his mate cared for him and his pack, so he didn't really mind losing the battle too much. Though he really hoped next time Joss would deliver his dinner herself.

* * *

Over the next couple of days, John followed the various members of the Legion of the Lupine while Finch and Taylor hacked their emails and watched various security cameras near their homes and work places. Joss and Fusco helped as much as John would allow, but John was extremely reluctant to let Joss get too close to the Legion after they had already made two attempts on her life.

Joss, as usual, became frustrated with John's protectiveness and finally put her foot down.

"John, dammit, I have the right to protect my mate and my pack, just like you. I will not sit on the sidelines while there are Wolves out there who want to kill us and our friends."

John tried to argue with her but as much as he hated to admit it, she was right. She was his mate, the Alpha Female. She was an ex-soldier and a cop. She had the skills and she had every right to protect her pack, as much as John hated to put her in harm's way.

So John asked Joss to follow Layla McDonald, Mark Ryder's girlfriend and the getaway driver the night that the Legion of the Lupine had tried to kill Joss. Joss knew from Fusco's research that Ryder hit Layla on a regular basis and she knew the psychology of battered women was complex; she had dealt with many of them over her career.

John had spent some time observing Layla and Ryder and he was sure that Layla was fully aware that Ryder would kill her soon if she stayed around.

"She's completely terrified of him, Honey. You have got to get her away from him or he _will_ kill her." Joss had pleaded with John.

But Joss knew that you could not get a battered woman to leave until she was ready and it often took a very long time for the woman to be desperate enough to gather the courage to make an exit, if sheever did. Joss was hoping that John was right and that Layla was looking for a way out. Because if she was ready to leave the abusive Ryder, Joss might have a chance at getting her away from her boyfriend and then she could help them find Rodgers. If McDonald was not yet ready to let go, no matter how scared Layla might be of Ryder, there was no way Joss would be successful.

Joss sat outside the apartment building where Ryder and Layla lived, in one of the nondescript compact cars from Finch's fleet. Neither one had emerged yet, but she knew through Finch that Ryder would be leaving for work soon to put in a full eight hour shift at the hotel where he did janitorial work. McDonald had no job that Finch could find, so Joss figured she would have a good chance at talking to the woman while Ryder was gone.

As she was waiting for Ryder to leave, Joss's phone rang and she tapped her earpiece, "Hi," she said softly with a small smile on her face.

"Any movement yet?" John's soft voice purred in her ear.

"Nope not yet, but Ryder should be leaving any minute, then I will try to get to Layla. Any luck with George May?"

"Nope. He's a late sleeper. He still lives with his parents and I'm pretty sure they don't know he's Wolf. They aren't Wolf, that's for sure. Fusco isn't having much luck with Anton Thomas, either. You may be our best bet with Layla."

"Hey, no pressure there." Joss joked.

"Joss, be careful, Ryder tried to kill you once, there is no doubt in my mind he will try again if he gets a chance."

"I know, John. I'm armed and I'll wait until he is well away before I try to approach her."

"Good luck."

"Thanks, I'll need it. Dealing with battered women is always tricky."

"I know you can do it, Joss. I love you."

"Love you too," and Joss rang off.

Just then Ryder and Layla walked out of the building. Ryder grabbed the woman's face in one hand in what looked to Joss as a painfully tight grip and he kissed her roughly. There was no passion or love in that kiss, just control. Joss's heart broke for the woman. Layla looked terrified when Ryder said something to her and he walked away without a backward glance. Layla watched him for a minute and then set off in the opposite direction.

Joss got out of the car and followed her. She called Finch, "Ryder has left for work and Layla is on the move. I'm following her. "

"Keep the line open, Detective. I'm tracking you."

"Rodger that."

Joss followed Layla as she did her shopping. Layla displayed all the classic signs of a terrified woman. As far as Finch had been able to determine she did not have a cell phone, making it difficult for her to communicate with friends and family. She paid for all her purchases in cash, and counted it out down to the penny like she had to account for every cent she spent. She was nervous and jumpy. She kept her head down and never looked anyone in the eye. Joss's anger towards Ryder grew with each passing minute, and she resolved to get Layla away from him.

Finally Layla entered a park and sat down on a bench by the duck pond. She pulled some crackers out of her bag and began quietly feeding the ducks, smiling at last at their antics as they swarmed the food.

Joss walked over and settled down at the other end of the same bench. She gave Layla a reassuring smile when Layla turned to her suspiciously; Layla gave her a thin smile back.

"Hello Layla, my name is Jocelyn."

Layla looked terrified, "How do you know my name?" She shrank from Joss despite the fact that Layla was probably a good four inches taller and twenty pounds heavier.

"I met Mark, in a manner of speaking the other night in the park, under the full moon." Joss let the implications of that sink in for a few minutes.

Layla looked even more terrified, "You're that pretty little black wolf he tried to kill the other night. Brian said he killed you and your mate in the fire at the hotel."

"He tried, but he's a lousy arsonist."

Layla was visibly trembling, "Have you come to get your revenge?"

Joss shook her head. "I won't hurt you. I don't think you had a choice to participate. I think Mark forced you to help."

Layla started to cry. "What do you want then? Why are you here?"

"I want you to tell me where Brian Rodgers is and I want to help you get away from Mark. He's not very nice to you is he?"

"I make him mad, he can't help it, he's Wolf. You know that."

"Bullshit. I'm Wolf, my mate is Wolf, my partner is Wolf. People make us mad all the time and we don't hurt them."

"But Wolves are discriminated against, that's why Mark can only be a janitor."

"Again, bullshit. In our pack we have a couple of doctors, fire fighters, cops, businessmen. Mark is just using that as an excuse."

Layla cried harder. "I'm so scared, he says he will kill me. Ever since he got involved in that Wolf organization, he's changed."

Joss looked at her sadly. "I can protect you. I'm a cop and I'm Wolf."

Layla shook her head but didn't say anything. Joss sensed that she was close to a breakthrough, that Layla fully understood that if she stayed with Ryder, he would wind up killing her. Layla was on the verge and it was up to Joss to push her over the edge. It was the only way to save the woman's life and Joss was not about to leave her to die at the hands of an obviously violent and angry loser like Mark Ryder.

"Layla, do you know what Mark has been doing with Rodgers? Do you know they have been hurting people? Other Wolves?"

Layla nodded miserably. "They bragged about it. They said the other Wolves were bad Wolves. That they were scared of non-Wolves and deserved it."

"Do you believe that they deserved it? Do you believe that I do?"

Layla refused to look at Joss. "I'm not Wolf, it's not for me to say. Non-Wolves don't have the right to tell Wolves what to do."

Joss leaned in towards Layla, her eyes intent on the other woman. "You know right from wrong, don't you? You have to know that hurting and killing is wrong. Layla, they have killed several Wolves already, they have hurt a friend of mine very badly. I can't let them hurt anyone else. Please help me, you know what they are doing is wrong."

Layla glanced up at Joss and then looked down at her hands, "I don't know what to do. I'm so scared. Brian and Mark will kill me." And she started to cry in great heaving sobs.

Joss scooted over on the bench and took the terrified woman in her arms. "Layla, you know what the right thing to do is here. I can protect you. I'm a cop and I have access to money and resources. My mate is the baddest Wolf in New York; he will protect you too. That's what he does for a living, he protects people and he is very, very good at it."

"Your mate is the big salt and pepper Wolf?"

Joss smiled, "Yes that's John. You were there; you saw how they ran when he confronted them the other night. They are terrified of him. My partner Lionel is Wolf too, and he will help protect you too. We can send you anywhere you want to go. You can start over. You can be free."

Joss gently tucked her fingers under the woman's chin, tilting it up forcing Layla to look at her, "Let me help you."

Layla put her head down and cried on Joss's shoulder for several minutes while Joss did her best to soothe the woman. Finally Layla lifted her head and asked, "Can I go to San Francisco? My mom lives there. I want to go home."

"Of course. I'll send you wherever you want to go. Let's go get your things and I will take you to a safe house."

Layla nodded and swiped at her eyes, "Alright, I'll go with you."

"Good job, love," John's low voice filled Joss's ear.

Joss smiled, "I didn't know you were listening." Layla looked startled and Joss indicated her earpiece.

"I'll meet you at the President's Street property."

"Alright, see you there soon."

"Am I really the baddest Wolf in New York?" John teased her, but he sounded pleased.

"No, you are the baddest Wolf on the planet," Joss assured her mate fondly.

"After this is over, I'll show how you bad I can be," he purred at her.

"Oh, geez" Fusco growled. "If you guys are going to get mushy could you warn me so I can cut the connection?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Last chapter in this story, but I am working on more! Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed. I also want to thank my awesome Betas, ReeseisLAVAhot and Maddsgirl75 for cleaning this up and making it readable. Also need to thank KSPrentederfan and SassyJ for listening to my neurotic ramblings, and DanAlaya for all her great questions that help me to define this AU.**

* * *

Chapter 6

Once Joss and Layla McDonald reached the apartment Layla shared with Mark Ryder, it did not take long to gather up her things; she had very few belongings. A few articles of clothing, a few pictures and couple of books was all there was to pack. It hurt Joss's heart to see how little the poor woman had. Ryder had done a very thorough job of keeping her dependent on him and under his thumb.

They arrived at the safe house in good time, but John had beaten them there. He was standing by the windows in the living area with his hands on his hips, gazing out on the street. He was wearing his dark blue suit, so his blue eyes took on a deeper intensity. With his tall swimmer's build and black hair going to salt and pepper, Joss had to admit that her mate cut a striking figure. His expression was grim when they first entered the apartment but he smiled as soon as he saw his mate and took Joss in his arms in a fierce hug.

When John released her, Joss looked at over at Layla and her heart ached when she saw the wishful expression on the other woman's face.

"John, this is Layla. Layla, this is my mate, John."

John turned his most devastating smile on Layla and gently took her hand. "Thank you for helping us, Layla. I know this must be hard for you," he said in that soft sexy voice that no woman could resist.

Layla smiled shyly at John. "Thank you for protecting me. I haven't felt safe in long time."

"I promise that you are safe here," John said sincerely.

Joss took Layla's hand, "Let's get you settled in one of the bedrooms. Look through the closets for more clothes, anything in your size you can have."

Joss got Layla settled in one of the bedrooms. As Layla unpacked, Joss saw several ugly bruises on her arms as her sleeves pulled up. When they were done, they joined John in the spacious kitchen where he had the coffee machine brewing. He gave them each a cup and they sat down at the kitchen table.

"Layla, do you know where we can find Brian Rodgers?" John asked her.

"Leslie's aunt died a few months ago and she has been living in her house while the estate gets settled. Brian has been staying with her most nights. They have been talking about mating."

"Do know the aunt's name or where the house is?"

"I think the aunt's last name is something like Billings. Leslie called her Auntie Liz. The house is in Brighton Beach."

John tapped his earpiece, "Finch did you hear that?"

"Yes, Mr. Reese. I have enough parameters to conduct a search; I should have the location shortly."

"Layla, how long do we have before Mark realizes you're gone?"

"He calls me several times during the day, but he won't really know I'm gone until he gets home around nine."

"Do you think he will call Rodgers and tell him you left?"

"Yes, I think he will. Brian doesn't like me because I'm not Wolf. They will probably start looking for me." Layla looked a little sick at the thought.

John reached over and gently touched her hand, "Don't worry about them. Joss and I won't let anything happen to you."

Layla closed her eyes, "I'm sorry, I've been so scared for so long..." Her voice grew shaky and trailed off.

Just then there was a knock on the door and Joss immediately tensed and went for her gun. Glancing over at John she was confused by the little smile on his face and the twinkle in his eye. He waved his hand indicating her gun was not needed and answered the door. Joss could not help but smile when she saw who was standing there.

Stephanie Mayer and her son Rulon, both members of their pack, filled the doorway. Stephanie was around Joss's height, but about twice her weight. She was in her early sixties with iron gray hair gathered in a bun, apple cheeks and a twinkle in her hazel eyes. As usual, she carried a plate of baked goods with her; today it was brownies. Joss swore she would never recognize Stephanie unless she was toting a plate of some sort of homemade food. John's sweet tooth was well-known in the pack and Stephanie considered it her sacred duty to keep him stuffed with treats. Cheerful, soothing and kind, Stephanie was everyone's favorite grandmother figure.

Rulon towered over his mother. He was six feet tall and seemed almost six feet wide, nearly all muscle. He was decked out in his usual biker gear and his long hair was tied back in a ponytail. He was one scary looking dude, but Joss knew he was one of the sweetest human beings on the planet. The only black mark on his record was a misdemeanor assault when he caught some guy abusing a dog. The guy went to the hospital and the dog went to a good home. John retained Andrea Gutierrez to defend him and after a spirited and vigorous defense, Rulon got off with a year's probation. Rulon was fiercely loyal to John and the only bike mechanic that John trusted with the Ducati.

Rulon grabbed Joss up in a huge hug while Stephanie plunked the plate of still warm brownies in the middle of the table and cheerfully smiled at Layla. Layla could not help but smile back. "Is this the little lamb?" Stephanie asked John. John smiled and nodded.

"Layla, allow me to introduce Stephanie and her son, Rulon. Joss and I have to go deal with Brian, so Steph and Rulon are going to make sure you are safe while we are gone. They are members of my pack and I trust them."

John paused and arched an eyebrow at Stephanie while she investigated every nook and cranny of the spacious and well stocked kitchen, "Just don't let Steph overfeed you."

Stephanie looked hurt, "Look at her, she's so thin!"

Joss laughed; Layla could not be in better hands.

Several minutes and a couple of brownies later, Joss and John were heading for Brighton Beach.

From the clues that Layla had provided, Finch managed to pinpoint the house where Rodgers was staying. By mid-afternoon Joss and John were parked down the quiet residential street near the address.

John lifted his camera to his eye and used the telephoto lens to examine the house and snap several pictures. All the blinds were closed so he was unable to see inside. There was a very prominent No Trespassing sign on the front gate and the yard was overgrown and unkempt. It was a very unfriendly looking house, the perfect place for a murdering rogue Wolf to hide out. John felt his upper lip curl into a snarl.

"Do you see anything?" Joss asked.

"Blinds are drawn, there's nothing in the yard except weeds. Can you feel anything?"

"I'll try, but it would help if I were a little closer."

John started the car and slowly drove down the street towards the house, acting like he was looking for an address. In the seat next to him, Joss closed her eyes and focused on the house.

Joss gasped as the pure flaming hate that she recognized from that night in the park slammed into her again. This time there were two of them, so Leslie must be there, too. The amount of hate radiating off the two of them almost made her sick and she grabbed the armrest on the car door to help steady herself. John looked over at her and accelerated away from the house. He drove around the corner, parked and pulled her over in his arms as best he could with center console in the way.

"Joss, honey are you OK?" he murmured to her, obviously concerned.

Joss took a moment and put her head on John's shoulder while she took a few deep breaths. She then lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into her mate's eyes. "I'm fine, I just wasn't prepared for all that hate. I'll be alright."

"I take it Rodgers is in there? What about Leslie Jennings?"

"She is in there too and she's radiating hate like him. Hate seems to be their defining characteristic."

"Match made in hell," John smirked. Joss punched him the arm with a smile.

"So how do you want to do this?" Joss asked.

"Fusco checked back with the Boston Police this morning, they have evidence to tie Rodgers to the murder of the Boston Alphas and we can get Jennings on charges of aiding and abetting. I'm going to call him in and we will try to take them alive. I think it will be justice that they have to answer to the laws of the non-Wolves they look down on. Rodgers would probably prefer to be a martyr than rot in prison."

Fusco joined them less than an hour later. "I don't see why we can't do this Wolf Style," he grumbled as he climbed into the back seat of their car.

"Fusco, you did it Wolf style before you even became a Wolf," Joss teased her partner.

"Damn straight, cuts down on the paperwork and no court dates," he shot back. John stifled a laugh; Fusco's aversion to paperwork was legendary in the 8th Precinct.

Fusco took the back of the house, Joss and John took the front. They took up positions on either side of the door and Joss reached over and cautiously knocked. There was the sound of scrambling from inside, then nothing. John moved like he was going to kick the door in but Joss held up a hand. John stopped just as two bullets ripped through the door. John gave Joss his best, "Thanks, babe" smile. They heard Fusco burst through the back door and yell, "Police, Freeze!" and this time John was able to kick the door open to see Fusco wrestling with Rodgers. John ran to help Fusco, while Joss "felt" for Leslie Jennings.

Joss found Jennings upstairs. She raced up the stairs and stopped on the top step as several bullets whizzed by. Joss flattened herself against the wall and yelled down the hall. "Police, Leslie. Put down your gun."

"Traitor Bitch!" was the answer that was yelled from down the hall and several more bullets flew by.

"Leslie, I don't want to hurt you. Put down your weapon or this is not going to end well."

"Come and get me, bitch."

Joss took a deep breath and let it out. She whipped around the corner on her knees, staying low, firing her gun. Jennings's last few bullets sailed over her head, while hers found their mark in Jennings's leg bringing her down.

John came bounding up the stairs, "Joss! Are you OK?"

"I'm over here, I'm fine," Joss called as she was cuffing Jennings. "Have Fusco call an ambulance and then get out of here."

John nodded and then vanished.

* * *

Several hours later, after many pages of reports and a long debrief with various police officials, Joss finally dragged herself home. Taylor was in bed already but John had saved her a plate of food from dinner and he opened a beer for her. She took them gratefully.

He sat down at the table with her as she ate. "Did you get Layla on a plane to San Francisco?" She asked him.

"No, it appears there were … complications," John smiled.

Joss paused, fork halfway to her mouth. "Complications? Mark Ryder was arrested without incident at his job before his shift was over, how could there be complications?"

"Well, it seems our Miss McDonald has always wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle."

John watched as comprehension dawned on Joss. His eyes danced with mirth as Joss's eyes opened wide for a second and then she started to laugh. "Layla and RULON? Oh my God, that's AWESOME!"

John's laugh answered Joss's, "I know. I don't think Layla could be in better hands. We may have a new pack member before too long."

"How did it go on your end?" he asked.

"The Boston DA's office has indicated it will file for the extradition of Rodgers first thing Monday. Jennings will recover and the DA will file charges of aiding and abetting and conspiracy to commit first degree murder against her in the morning. We found enough evidence in the house to make the charges stick against Rodgers, Jennings and all the core members of the Legion of the Lupine."

John reached over and cupped the back of Joss's head, pulling her into a sensual kiss. "Good job, sweetheart," he said when he finally pulled back. "I don't think we will have to worry about anyone trying to rip you apart at the next pack night."

"I'm glad about that. I prefer my pack nights event free."

John kissed her again, "Well I have an event in mind for tonight. I haven't seen much of you since the Legion of the Lupine came to town."

Joss smiled a naughty smile, eyes sparkling, at John, "What event might that be, Mr. Reese?"

John stood up and held out his hand to his mate, his eyes smoldering. "If you follow me, Detective Carter, I'll be more than happy to show you," he said in a low husky voice that held lots of promise.

Joss laid her hand in his, her eyes shining. She had missed him. She allowed John to lead her back into their bedroom where they shut the door so they wouldn't disturb Taylor. (Not that it was that easy to rouse a sleeping teenager, but they didn't like to take chances.)

Once the door was shut they slowly began removing each other's clothes. They gently kissed their way down each other bodies as articles of clothing were removed, exposing more and more flesh to the other's gentle ministrations. They took their time, moving slowly, reacquainting themselves with every inch of each other's bodies. Joss completely surrendered, letting the intensity of the mating bond take over and consume her. She felt incredibly loved.

Tenderly John turned her around and kissed his way down her naked back while his fingers lightly drew circles over the skin of her breasts and stomach. That light touch nearly caused her to orgasm right then and her legs felt like water. John wrapped her in his arms from behind as he nuzzled her neck and shoulder. She felt his cock, hard and eager, against her ass and she couldn't resist grinding back against him.

With a growl John scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, where he laid her down carefully and crawled on top of her. Joss looked up into his eyes while he hovered over her just staring down at her. She ran her fingers down his back to grip his ass while he closed his eyes as he enjoyed the sensation of her nails against his skin. He opened his eyes and gazed down at her again. "My mate," he whispered tightly to her.

Gently, leisurely, he penetrated her. She gasped and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, caressing hers. Joss wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him to her as he thrust in and out of her.

John started slowly and gradually increasing his speed until he was thrusting wildly into her as she undulated under him, his forehead pressed against her shoulder as they moaned each other names. They writhed together, racing to the edge. Joss leaped off the edge first and her cries of pleasure pulled John into the abyss right after her.

He lay on top of her for several minutes as they came down off the intensity of their lovemaking. Joss didn't mind, she loved feeling him against her, his weight and warmth. Finally he rolled off her and pulled her over to his side. Joss reached up and gently touched his face. "My mate," she whispered to him.

"Wolves mate for life, my love," he whispered back.


End file.
